Family Ties
by HollyBlue2
Summary: He swerved. It was too late. He had hit the boy that had just stepped out onto the dark road. He slammed on his breaks causing him to hit his head on the steering wheel. Wolf was knocked unconscious...
1. Prologue

**Family Ties**

**Prologue**

* * *

He swerved. It was too late. He had hit the boy that had just stepped out onto the dark road. He slammed on his breaks causing him to hit his head on the steering wheel. Wolf was knocked unconscious. Nothing more could be said for the boy lying silently under his car with a broken arm and several cracked ribs. Alex was unmoving and unconscious. The road was quiet; no one would come down here for a while, because it was a back road few people used.

Wolf finally woke from his state of unconsciousness and replayed back what had just happened.

He was driving safely along.

He had his headlights on.

A boy stepped out into the road.

He swerved.

His head hit the steering wheel.

Wait... A boy stepped out into the road. Where was he? Wolf opened the door quickly and jumped out.

He steadied himself as dizziness took over. He looked around him. No one. Where was the boy? Oh no! He looked under the car; there he was, unmoving and silent...


	2. Chapter 1

Thank you for your reviews: Skylar Rhodes, Talionyzero, Ever and Ever, Valkyriexx, marisje and Athena007

* * *

**Family Ties**

**Chapter 1**

* * *

It was dangerous to move him, he could have broken his neck, but he had no choice. He had to get the boy from under the car before he was burnt by the engine. He positioned himself where the boys head was and put his hands round his neck. It didn't feel broken. Making sure his head was straight he pulled the boy out from under the car by his armpits. SAS instincts kicked in.

Danger. Well that had been the car so... check.

Response. He shook his shoulder slightly but there was nothing.

Airway. Check. He tilted the boys head back.

Breathing. Check.

He ran a hand through his hair put of stress and slight panic.

Right... Yeah... assess the physical damage. Broken arm! But that seemed to be it. He closed his eyes for a second as another wave of dizziness caught up with him.

A flashback.

_[Wolf was twelve. He hadn't looked where he was going and a car hit him in the side. He crashed to the ground just in front of the wheels of the car, and then all of a sudden there was a crowd of people surrounding him. He opened his eyes carefully; afraid of what he might see. He breathed in deeply and yelled in pain as his broken ribs got the better of him.]_

Broken ribs, it was likely he had broken ribs. He place one of his hands carefully on the boy's ribcage. His hand sunk into the skin further than it should have done. He must have several broken ribs.

Wolf began to feel nauseous and turned away from the boy. Then a grunt came from the boy and he turned his head sharply.

He looked into the boy's eyes and a sense of recognition washed over him. Cub?

"Cub?"

"Wolf?"

"Cub!"

"Wolf?" He was confused. "Your heads bleeding!"

"What?" He put a hand to his head and pulled it away with crimson blood on it.

"Oh. Well you've got a broken arm and several cracked ribs. I'm taking you to a hospital."

"No! Don't take me, I'll be fine. They will find me."

"Who?" Alex didn't answer.

"Cub, who?"

"MI6" His voice was barely a whisper.

"Right. I'm taking you back to my place then."

"Thanks." He gave him a weak smile.

"This is likely to hurt." He warned before picking him up in his arms and carrying him to the back seat of his jeep. He laid him across the seats and closed the door behind him. Wolf jumped into the front and started the engine. It was a twenty minute drive to Wolf's house. When they arrived, he went to the front door and unlocked it.

"I'm home!" He shouted and a woman a few years younger than Wolf came running to the door.

"You're home!" She hugged him tightly around the neck and tears started falling down her face. "I missed you so much! Your head, it's bleeding."Wolf's uniform was wet where his wife had cried into it. "What happened?" He went back to the car ignoring the question. Opening the back door he lifted Alex out and carried him to the door.

"It was an accident! He ran in front of my car on the way home. Well, I only know him as Cub."

"He's no older than seventeen, how the hell do you know him!"

"Long story, I need to get him inside." The tension was rising in the household as Elizabeth, Wolf's wife, wasn't getting what she wanted to know.

Wolf took Alex into the lounge and laid him on the sofa. He turned back to his wife when he noticed Cub was sleeping.

"Look, sit down and I'll tell you everything in a minute." He said. "Are Ellie and Daniel asleep?"

"Um... Ellie is and I think Daniel's still doing his homework."

"Ok, I'll be back in a sec." He dashed up the stairs and knocked on Daniel's door.

"Yeah. Who is it?"

"Dad." The door was opened quickly and a beaming smile was spread across the 17-year-olds face. "How you doing then?"

"Great, I got an A for my English..." Daniel went on to talk about his grades at school. All the while Elizabeth was down stairs and staring at the sleeping boy on her sofa. _What the hell had he done?_


	3. Chapter 2

Chapter 2

Wolf charged back down the stairs after talking to Daniel. He braced himself for what was about to come. He opened the door slowly and looked into Lizzie's eyes. The deep blue sunk into him, as they had always done.

"What happened then?" Lizzie shouted at him in a harsh whisper. Wolf sighed.

"I was driving at the given speed, I had my headlights on. I was coming down the country road and he stepped out. I swerved, but it was too late. I think I was knocked on conscious for a few minutes. I'm not totally sure. When I woke I got out the car and I couldn't see him... until I looked under the jeep." Wolf voice was rushed and Lizzie struggled to keep up but even though, her expression was a look of shock horror. "It was an accident, I promise. He said something like..."

"It's classified!" Cub said groggily waking from his unconsciousness.

"Ok, sorry. How are you feeling?"

"Like, I've been hit by a train again."

"Well, not exactly a train more like a car." Wolf joked and Alex laughed along.

"Is it alright if I stay here tonight? I don't think I'll make it home."

"Y..." Wolf started.

"Of course, I'm not exactly going to send you home am I?" Lizzie interrupted.

"Thanks."

"I'll take you up to the spare room after I've made the bed," with that Lizzie left the room and went upstairs taking one of Daniel's duvet covers out from the airing cupboard. She made up the fold out bed and came downstairs ten minutes later.

"Your bed's ready. Need any help getting up the stairs?"

"Um... I think I'll be alright thank you." Alex lied to her, not wanting to be any trouble. He made his way slowly and ineptly to the stairs and stumbled at the last minute. Wolf had followed up behind him in case he fell and caught him before he hit the floor which would have been painful.

"Take him to a hospital tomorrow!"

"He won't let me; I'm not forcing him to do anything he doesn't want to. I don't know what he'll do to me after."

"What on earth do you mean?"

"I mean that our first meeting didn't go so well and I ended getting kicked in the stomach with a perfect roundhouse!" Wolf explained and Alex chuckled to himself.

By the fifth or sixth step Alex's body had totally given up and Wolf ended up carrying the embarrassed boy up to his bed. Not having anything to change into and feeling like he hadn't slept in a week, Alex slept like a baby.


	4. Chapter 3

**Family Ties**

**Chapter 3**

Ellie woke and started bouncing on her small fairy bed. Then she stopped... wondering what the odd sound was, that was coming from the guest bedroom.

"Mummy! Mummy!" She shouted to get Lizzie's attention.

Elizabeth clambered out of her warm bed, leaving Lewis sleeping after his long, difficult night.

"What is it Ellie?" She asked tying her dressing-gown up at the front.

"What's moaning in the guest bedroom?"

"Oh, one of you daddy's friend's." She told the five-year-old.

"Which one, is it Stevie?" She said referring to Eagle. "I like Stevie, he's funny."

"No, it's not Steve."

"Oh." Sadness washed over the girls face. "But Stevie snores. It has to be him!"

"Well, it isn't. Now let's get dressed and you can have you breakfast." She climbed out of her bed and raced excitedly over to her pink chest of draws. Opening her draws she pulled out a blue t-shirt and a pair of jeans.

"Mummy, can I wear these?"

"Of course you can Ellie." Lizzie smiled and helped her daughter to get dressed. After she was dressed Lizzie took her downstairs and made her a bowl of cereal, before returning upstairs to see if Lewis (Wolf) was awake. As she walked into their bedroom she noticed he was.

"Morning, Sleepy-head."

"Morning!"

"Sleep well?"

"As well as I always do after a mission, so not good." Lizzie sighed heavily and crawled back into the bed and sat close to Lewis and hugged him tightly.

"You can't tell me about it but was it bad?"

"Not the worst." Lizzie gave him a small smile and changed the convocation. "Ellie's downstairs having her breakfast. Daniel is most likely to be asleep as usual on a Saturday morning and I haven't seen the other boy."

"I'll go and check on him now and then I'll pop downstairs to see Ellie." He pulled back the covers and got out of bed.

Opening the door to Alex's room quietly he peered in and noticed Alex was still asleep.

"Cub? Cub! Wake up!" He called.

"What... What time is it?"

"Erm... It's nearly nine o'clock." Cub rubbed his eyes with his good arm.

"It's too early!"

"No, everyone else is up. Oh and by the way, I'm having Snake come over to fix your arm and your ribs." Alex grumbled and Wolf just shook his head sighing and left the room, heading downstairs to see Ellie.

"Ellie!" Lewis called.

"Daddy, Daddy, Daddy, Daddy, Daddy!" She shouted with joy and ran up to his with her arms outstretched. Wolf lifted her up and swung her round in the air, Ellie smiling and laughing.

"Where did you go then?" Wolf asked.

"I didn't go anywhere, you went again."

"Oh yeah," he said chuckling and making Ellie laugh once more.

Alex decided to get up after all. Although it was difficult and painful to move but he had to get up.

So, trying to ignore the pain, he got put of bed cradling his broken arm to his chest. The having nothing else to wear but the clothes he wore yesterday he came downstairs as best as he could, but it was still agonizing.

"Morning." Alex said walking into the kitchen.

"Morning, Cub!" Wolf replied setting his daughter down on the floor.

"Who are you?" She asked looking up at him with big green eyes.

"Um... Alex."

"Ah, so that's your real name!" He laughed.

"Morning Alex! I'm going to have to remember that."

"What time is Snake coming over?"

"Any minute now," he told him looking at his silver watch.

"Thanks." In all honesty he was very relieved. As if by a coincidence (of which Alex doesn't believe) the doorbell rang out throughout the house.

"Who's at the door?" Ellie shouted.

"Oliver." Her face lit up and she raced to the door, Wolf going after her knowing she wouldn't be able to reach the door handle. Wolf opened the door.

"Ollie!" Ellie said cheerfully and Snake bent down to her level and gave her a hug.

"Hello, haven't you grown!"

"Yes, I'm nearly as tall as Daddy."

"Not quite, squirt, maybe one day."

Snake turned his attention to Wolf. "You mentioned Cub was here."

"Uh... yeah I... kinda..."

"Spit it out Lewis!"

"I ran him over with my jeep last night coming home from the mission."

"WHAT!"

"It was an accident, and keep your voice down, unless you want a seventeen-year-old grumpy teenager shouting at you."

"Sorry, I take it that Daniel's still asleep then? Where's Cub?"

"In the lounge." He turned and led him out of the hallway and into the lounge where Alex was sat on the sofa, looking a little lost in thought.

"Well I haven't seen you in a while, what are you dong here?" Alex simply looked at Wolf and then back at Snake.

"I was on the run."

"Awww... is your rich daddy being mean to you or what?" He pulled a baby face at him.

Alex scowled at him "my Mum and Dad are dead!"

"Oh!"

"I can't tell you why I was on the run or why I was at the SAS. It's classified."

"Oh! Anyway, what's broken, bruised and bashed?"

"Arms and ribs are all I've noticed."

"Alright then... Lewis have you got a first aid box?"

"Yup. It's upstairs, be back in a sec."

Snake gently lifted up Alex's arm and he gasped in pain as Snake examined it. Wolf had come back down and he handed the green box to Snake who pulled out a bandage and wrapped it around Alex's broken arm. After he had finished that he needed to bandage his chest to set his ribs.

"Take your shirt off!"

"What!" Alex replied, taken aback.

"Take your shirt off!" Snake repeated. Alex didn't want them to see his bullet wound, nor did he want the pain... So in the end he took off his shirt. Snake saw it immediately but said nothing, he would ask later.

"Who were you running from?"

Alex sighed. "It's classified!"

"Is there anything you can tell me?"

"Anything I do tell you, you won't believe. One of you knows though. Remember Ben Daniels?"

"Yeah, of course I do!"

"I worked with him once." Alex gasped once again as Snake finished tying the bandage up round his chest.

"There you go... all done."

"Thanks." Wolf came back into the room with Ellie on his hip.

"All done?"

"Yeah!" Alex said, relieved of the pain.


	5. Chapter 4

**Family Ties**

**Chapter 4**

Daniel came down the stairs and into the kitchen. The first thing he spotted was the visitor. _Who was he? _He ignored it for now.

Five minutes later, when Daniel had finished cooking his toast he sat at the table.

"Who are you?"

"The name's Alex Rider. I guess you're Daniel."

"Yeah, I guess I am." He glared at Alex. "Why are you here?"

"Is this an interrogation or something?"

"Why are you here?"

"Alright, alright, I'm a family friend."

Wolf walked into the kitchen. "Ah, I see you have met Daniel then."

"Yes. Is that a good thing?" Alex wondered, glaring at Daniel.

"Not in the morning." Wolf glanced over at Daniel only to be met with the 'Death Glare'. Wolf smirked and turned back to Alex.

"Wolf, he definitely gets his glare from you." He stated.

"That's Lewis to you, we aren't on base Cub." Alex chuckled, all the while Daniel was lost in the joke he had no understanding of.

*sorry it's short, the next chapter will be longer, I just had to introduce Daniel to the ff*

*I promise the next chapter will be longer and more exciting!*


	6. Chapter 5

Chapter 5

The family had got to know bits about Alex throughout the next few days, Ellie had certainly clung to Alex and Daniel was the exact opposite, staying clear of him as much as possible.

It was Monday evening; Alex had been upstairs with Ellie, babysitting, when Lewis, Wolf, and Elizabeth came home with the shopping. Alex carried Ellie down the stairs to see her parents, Alex helped with unpacking the shopping with Ellie getting under everyone's feet.

She was in her pink fairy pyjamas and would be going to sleep as soon as Elizabeth had finished putting away the shopping.

The last piece of shopping was put away and Lizzie picked hr daughter up and carried her to her room. After reading her a bedtime story, one about a princess who kept finding peas under her bed, she went back down stairs.

Lewis was sat on the sofa; Alex was one the one opposite and Daniel was sat next to Alex, watching television.

"Ellie is in bed, I'm going to go up too, I have a bit of a headache, and you boys can stay down here if you like." She smiled and Lewis smiled back and said goodnight.

"Horror movie anyone?" Lewis suggested. Daniel nodded and Alex shrugged. He wasn't one for horror movies but he thought he would watch one anyway.

He went over to the DVD rack and pulled out 'The Wolfman'. Placing it in the DVD player he sat back in the chair and used the remote to start the film.

Scene after scene was making Alex jump in fright. After about fifteen minutes, Alex stood up and walked out of the living room. He climbed the stairs warily, still shaken from the film.

He walked across the landing to the guest bedroom at the end of the hall. Pulling off his t-shirt he flopped down onto the pullout sofa bed and attempted to clear his head of the scenes replaying in his mind. Before he knew it he had drifted off into a uncomfortable sleep.


	7. Chapter 6

Chapter 6

Wolf had noticed Alex leave the living room. So once the programme had finished he went upstairs. He opened Alex's door quietly and peered into see the boy lying on his bed, wearing just his jeans, sleeping.

A creak of the floorboards, caused Wolf to turn around, his night vision hadn't adjusted, so he didn't see what hit his head, knocking him unconscious. The person who had hit him caught the boy and laid it gently on the ground, in fear of waking an unnecessary people up.

The man walking into the room, pulled out a hypodermic syringe filled with a clear solution of sedative. He crept over to the sleeping boy and pushed the needle into his arm.

Alex woke suddenly do see a man looming over him and a pain in his arm... then blackness consumed him...

Xxx- Ever so sorry for the shortness... I will make the next chapter a lot longer...


	8. Chapter 7

Chapter 7

Wolf was first to wake up, his head was pounding from the blow. He put his hand to the back of his head and then pulled it away when he could feel the dried blood. He looked around himself at his surroundings; the size of the room was about 5 by 9 foot, there was a single bed with a single blanket although no pillow, no comforts; a toilet and a sink in the corner and a small bench. He had also noticed the small camera in the corner of the room.

Alex was lying next to him, still unconscious. He shook the shoulders of the half-naked boy gently, trying his best to ignore the scar on his chest. Alex's eyes opened and he looked around himself, his senses obviously on high alert.

"Where am I?" He asked quietly. Wolf put a finger to his lips and pointed to the top corner of the prison cell.

'We're being watched.' He mouthed. Alex understood and made to stand up, but his legs wouldn't support him. He came to the conclusion he'd been drugged and by the looks of Wolf's head he had been knocked out.

He used the chains attached to the bench to steady himself.

"You OK?" Wolf asked quietly. Alex just nodded and finally gained his balance. He let go of the chain and walked slowly around the room. Gaining his strength with each step.

"Give me a boost.' Alex mumbled turned away from the camera.

Wolf got up slowly, steadying himself and a wave of dizziness rushed over him. He took Alex by the bottom of his legs and pushed him up the wall then he shuffled his hands so Alex could stand on his palms.

Alex reached the camera and smiled into it, before ripping it off the wall.

"Sorted." He said and Wolf got him down.

A few minutes later a man with dark hair and a scar running over his right eye, which was most probably from a knife.

He unlocked the door. Wolf made to get up and the man just stood there, glaring at him.

"Don't bother." Wolf glared at him. The scarred man whistled through his teeth and four guards ran towards him with guns raised in their shoulders.

One of the guards lowered his weapon and walked cautiously into the cell and grabbed Alex by his arm. He struggled, but another guard came and took his other arm, dragging him out of the holding cell.

The dragged him into another room. Forcing him to sit on a metal chair in the centre of the room they cuffed him to it. The cold metal against his bare back made him shiver violently.

"What do you want!" He shouted.

"Well, I'm sure at least someone told you there is only one way out of this organisation!"

Alex frowned. "What do you mean?"

"You know exactly what I mean Alex." He sneered. "And your friend is merely leverage. We knew if there was someone you cared about, and then surely you'd take a bullet for them."

'_These people are seriou_sly_ stupid; they always tell me their plans before they kill me'_ Alex thought.

"And yet again you tell me your plan." Alex smirked and the scarred man just looked blatantly confused. He couldn't work out why this boy was not scared to die, but he had a better idea...

Wolf paced the small holding cell; he was scared for Alex, worried. He didn't know what the time was. He wondered if Elizabeth had found them missing yet. What about Ellie and Daniel? Why did SCORPIA want Alex, he was just a kid what the hell had he done? Thoughts rushed through his head. He sat himself down on the bench that was chained to the wall. He looked through the bars of the prison cell. _'There must be a way out of here!' _

A guard walked past with another prisoner who had a black hood over his head. Taking nothing of it as there were most likely many prisoners in this place he looked towards the barred window. _Freedom? _He considered.


	9. Chapter 8

Chapter 8

Alex sat with his arms bound to the chair with metal chain. He tried pulling his hand from them but he would have to break his thumbs to do it. He looked around the sullen room, it was boring, just like any other cell, he supposed. There were footsteps coming from the other side of the door, and then it opened with a loud bang.

The scar-faced man strode in with a smirk on his face, Alex's face remained impassive.

"So, before I kill you... I was wondering if you would kindly give us some information, MI6 is planning something big... I want to know what!"

Alex sighed.

"I don't know anything." He said bluntly. Scarface snapped his fingers and a guard came from the entrance of the door and stood next to the chair Alex was tied to, making him feel uncomfortable.

"One click Alex, that's all it'll take to get him to beat you senseless." He grinned slyly.

"I don't know anything." He repeated, although lying.

He snapped his finger and a baton came out from behind the guards back, it came down on him like a tonne of bricks, over and over again, he could feel that it was going to bruise.

He didn't scream out, that was exactly what the man wanted. His face remained as blank as possible, only flinching as the baton struck his stomach.

Alex heard a faint click in the background the beating stopped.

As the chains were being undone, Alex thought he had a chance. He got up quickly ignoring the flashes of pain shooting through him and positioned himself in a fighting stance. The guard walked cautiously towards him, also in a fighting stance, Alex lashed out with his fist, catching the guard's upper chest, sending him reeling backwards. He chose this time to strike again, but this time with a roundhouse kick. He landed it on the guard's temple, knocking him out cold.

Then there was a cock of a weapon. A shot sounded and then the noise of it ricocheting off the ceiling, then the weapon cocked again. He stopped.

"Alex, Alex, Alex, what am I to do with you?" Scarface jeered. Alex remained still and impassive.

"Shoot me?" He questioned.

"No, I'm not going to do that it'd be pointless." He said, but Alex knew this already.

Wolf had heard the shot of the Glock 9mm handgun from his cell. He sighed and closed his eyes. Was he gone? No chance of escape is he was...

Scarface walked towards Alex, with the handgun still raised, as soon as he was close enough he used the butt of the gun to know the boy out.

He had guards to drag him back to the cell, where he was pretty much thrown in, but luckily Wolf was there to catch him.

Once the guards had gone Wolf spoke. "Alex?" The boy was still unconscious. He laid him flat on the floor and began to shake his shoulders gently. No luck, he picked him up and put him on the bed.


	10. Chapter 9

Chapter 9

Wolf paced the cell. He wondered, tears nearly brimming his eyes, whether his girls were alright. He didn't know if they had been taken too. And what about Daniel? It would destroy him if his only son was to be tortured like this; he was hoping he was home too.

He heard a groan in the background. He jerked his head round to see Alex's hand reach his head, obviously where the man had hit him.

"You ok Alex?" Wolf questioned.

"Yeah, I think so." He muttered back. Alex swung his legs round to the side of the bed. Standing up he clutched his head and swayed slightly. Wolf was positioned ready to catch him if he needed to, but he seemed fine.

Elizabeth had called the police as soon as she had noticed Lewis and Alex gone, she knew they hadn't just gone out; there had been blood on the floor. After she'd found them missing she rushed round the house to see if anything had been stolen, nothing but her son. Daniel, too, was missing. Only his bed had been perfectly made and his bedroom had been unusually tidy.

Ellie had been still in her big-girl bed though. So now she sat in the living room, clutching her child, tears constantly flowing down her pale face. The female police officer had attempted to comfort her but it hadn't work, she just wanted her boy's home. She hoped they were alright.

Footsteps came closer to the cell. Alex stiffened, ready for a fight. It was Scarface again...

The same guards, who had come to get him last time, grabbed him by his arms and again dragged him out of the cell, leaving Wolf, alone once more.

The room Alex was taken to was different from the last. It was empty apart from the chains that hung on the far side wall. He was pushed towards them and then his hands were cuffed to the chains. They had faced him towards the wall, hge fought against them, but it was no use. He could turn his head enough to see who was behind him.

Someone else came into the room. He turned his head to see who it was.

He was shocked to see who it was, either it was by force or he joined them willingly...


	11. Chapter 10

(Warning! Torture!)

Chapter 10

"Daniel?" Alex questioned, straining his head round towards him. Daniel just stared at him; a hard, cold stare.

"Turn round Alex." Daniel told him coldly, (though hit was because he didn't want to see his face), and Alex did as he was told.

"Harrington, take this." He recognised the voice as belonging to Scarface. He turned his head, now in Daniels hand was a long whip. His head turned sharply back to face the wall.

There was a sharp crack as the whip hit the wall beside him. He'd missed.

"You're hopeless Harrington! Give it here." Scarface shouted. He grabbed the whip off of him and pulled it back behind his head. He threw it forward and it hit Alex's back with force; a nearly perfect line was made across the boy's bare back and blood began to trickle from the newly made mark. It burned; too, Alex could feel every drop of blood running down his back. His eyes were screwed up with the pain, as he waited for another to hit his back.

And it did. Though not as hard so he guessed that hit had been Daniel that had hit him.

The lashes came again, and again and again. He thought it would never stop. His back was numb with the pain and Alex was breathing hard, desperate to pass out, so he wouldn't have to deal with the pain. But his body just wouldn't give up. He'd not made a sound during the 'session', couldn't show Scarface weakness.

He was taken down from the restraints and dragged out the room, feet dragging on the floor. As he past Daniel he looked up at him and gave him of look saying 'why?'

After being dumped back in the cell, he was dreading the moment he was going to tell Wolf that his son had just tortured him.

"Alex? You're alright mate." Wolf cradled the boy in his arms, careful not to touch his back.

"I'm sorry." Alex told him. Wolf gave him a confused look.

"About what, you're getting tortured for no reason?"

"There is a reason; I used to work for SCORPIA, a double agent, if you like, they say there's 'only one way out of SCORPIA. Death."

About an hour later, a guard came past them with a glass of water. They both were parched but Wolf gave up his half of the water to clean Alex's wounds. Although Alex had protested, he'd forced him to comply, telling him he'd gone without water before when he and K-unit had been captured in Baghdad. Alex remembered the card he'd been sent.

A day passed, no one came.

Another day passed, no one came.

Finally three days later, Scarface was back. Most of Alex's wounds had healed slightly, scabbing over, but still vulnerable.

Alex stood.

"We don't want you Alex." Alex frowned inside but didn't show it.

Two guards came in and grabbed hold of Wolf by his shoulders. He arched his back against it but the guards joust twisted his arms behind Wolf's back, forcing him out of the room. An itchy hood was put over his head and he lost all sense of direction. He heard a door open and then he stepped gingerly into the new room. He was forced to sit on a chair and his arms were bound behind his back and then his thighs were tied to the chair with rope along with his chest and ankles. The hood was ripped off his head; Wolf clamped his eyes shut as the harsh light hit them. Opening them slowly he saw a fuzzy image in front of him. Finally his vision cleared. What he saw wasn't what he expected.

Daniel sat across from him in another chair.

"Daniel?" But Daniel just stared coldly into his father's eyes. "Daniel?" He said, but again no answer.

"So then, who are you?" Scarface asked as he stood behind Daniel. Wolf didn't say anything. Just how he'd learnt during SAS training.

"I will ask again. Who are you?" Silence, still. Scarface picked up a bucket full of water. He whistled for a guard and the guard tipped Daniels head back. Scarface began to pour the water into the boy's mouth. Wolf could see his son struggling to breathe.

"Stop it! Stop it!" He shouted. Scarface stopped and the guard let go of Daniels head. Daniel chocked up some water and took a huge breath of air.

"What is your name?" Scarface asked, once again. This time Wolf gave in.

"Lewis Harrington."

"Wonderful boy your son, isn't he?" Wolf didn't answer, just glared. "So, how do you know Alex?"

He didn't want to answer, but he didn't want to watch his son get tortured in front of him. He had taken too long to think. Daniels head was once again pulled back and the water was poured into his mouth, not letting him breathe. Daniel tried his best to take gulps of air between gushes of water, but they were too quick. Black spots began to dance in front of his green eyes. He tried to blink them away but, they just seemed to get bigger and bigger. The hands holding his head back were too strong for him to break free from.

He lost consciousness...


	12. Chapter 11

Chapter 11

Daniel woke to the soft sound of his father's voice. His face was blurry but became clearer; he saw that he had bruises on his face and a cut on his head.

The young boy was sat in the corner, his knees tucked up to his chest and eyes buried into his kneecaps.

His throat felt like it was burning so he decided against talking.

"Danny... Danny?" His father was repeating his name over and over again. "Can you hear me?"

Daniel nodded, touching his throat.

Alex looked over to Daniel and Lewis. He had to get them out of here.

He tried to think of a plan in his head, but it was clouded with pain and childhood memories.

There was a clang as a key turned in the lock of their cell door. Alex looked up sharply and saw that two men we walking towards him, weapons raised, ready to shoot. One of hem lowered his slightly and grabbed Alex by the shoulder, but Alex didn't struggle. A plan formed quickly in his head.

After being dragged through the hallways, he noted down every turn, twist, door and anything that would give him a clue of how to get out of here. He was pulled into a room.

"Sit!" The man said; he had already been in the room when Alex got there. Again he showed no resistance. They bounded him once again to the chair.

"New intel tells us that you were running from MI6; weren't you Alex?"

Alex did nothing, not even a shake of his head.

"Weren't you Alex?" The man said louder.

This time Alex nodded.

"And, why was it that you were running?" Alex looked up from the floor and stared coldly into the man's eyes. "Don't make me force it out of you..." Alex deepened his gaze.

"Fill it." The man suddenly said, directing his voice to one of the guards. It was the slightly younger one that moved.

The fish-tank-like contain began filling with water as the guard switch the hosepipe on. It was full to the brim and freezing cold. Another guard pulled Alex up from his chair and brought him over to the corner where the container was.

"I will ask you again. Why were you running?" But Alex didn't answer. The man behind Alex shoved his head into the freezing water.

One second.

Five seconds

Ten seconds

Fifteen seconds.

Alex began to kick out behind him; hoping they wound let his up for air. Another five seconds. It felt like forever.

Finally he was pulled up. He took several deep, gasping breaths. His lungs were aching. The man asked his again.

He would not answer.

So again he head was pushed underneath. Having only just got his breath back he knew he would not last as long as last time, but, hey, that was the point of torture. Alex's lungs began to burn from deprivation of oxygen. He wouldn't give up. They pulled him up.

"I will... tell... you as long... as you let... Wolf and Daniel go... Please." He said in between gasps.

Scarface just chuckled madly. "Why would I do that? Harrington belongs to me. He leaves, he dies. Just like you will very soon."

"So, no matter how hard you try, your _friends, _will die in the same grave."

They shoved his head under again, for good measure. They pulled it back up after thirty seconds and then back down again for another ten and back up. This carried on until Alex passed out from lack of oxygen. He was once again dragged back tot he cell, dripping wet.

"Alex?" Wolf called as he saw the pale, limp boy being dragged towards the cell. Daniel had been sleeping in the corner, until he heard the commotion. He laid him gently on the ground; he bent down and tried to listen for his breathing. It was very shallow. He tipped him over do he was on his side, almost in the recovery position. He tilted his head back to allow him to breathe easier. But there wasn't anything else he could do.

A few hours later Alex came round, confused and with a banging headache, but it was better than him dying.


	13. Chapter 12

Chapter 12

Their cell was visited by neither Scarface nor any of the guards for the next three days. Daniel became irritable with hunger. Wolf just sat in the corner, quiet. Alex sat in the opposite corner doing pretty much the same thing.

Alex's back was healing slowly, each of the whip marks scabbing over; however, it still hurt to move.

"Dad, I'm really sorry," Daniel said. Wolf looked up at his son. "They threatened to kill everyone, unless did as they told me." Daniel looked back at the floor.

"It's not your fault."

"But it is, you don't understand. I let them tell me only what they wanted me to hear. Why they wanted Alex dead. They told me they'd kill you, mum and Ellie. I couldn't live with that. So I said I would." Wolf sighed. Alex looked up and stretched out his legs from where they'd been tucked up against his chest.

"Shit happens Daniel." Alex said bluntly. Wolf chucked slightly at his wit and a small smile crept upon Daniels face. Even Alex could smile for once in a long time.

There was a clang of the metal bars as a key was turned in the lock. All three smiles dropped to impassive expressions. All stared at the young guard undoing the lock. The guard almost flinched, but kept it hidden. Alex stood. Walked slowly towards the door.

"Please, I have nothing to do with you, I'm no one." The guard muttered quickly in Russian. Alex was the only one to understand.

Wolf took this as his chance. He tapped his son on the shoulder and Daniel realised what he was about to do.

"Sorry." He muttered as he slipped behind the guard and grabbed him from behind in a headlock.

There was a distinctive snap as the man's neck broke. Alex looked away as the man paled and fell to the floor, unmoving.

They ran. Alex leading the way. He had a faint idea of where he was going but he wasn't entirely sure.

He listened out for the sounds of other guards talking. All the corridors seemed identical, but somehow Alex noticed the slight difference, like the slightly faded doors and scratches on the floor. He could hear Daniel behind him, breathless. He slowed his pace and then stopped when they came to a two-way turning. He thought for a second and then turned right. It was silent aside from their heavy breathing and light footsteps on the ground at a steady beat.

Alex could hear his heart pumping I his chest, seeming louder than normal and his breath in his head. Both going at steady rates.

Finally, like the light at the end of a tunnel a door with un-artificial lighting came into view. Alex smiled to himself. They stopped short. Alex looked at the glass, it wasn't very thick, and he stepped back, motioning to Wolf and Daniel to do the same. He leaned backwards and swung round bringing his foot up into a roundhouse kick, making contact with the thin glass. The sound of the glass hitting the floor was unmistakeable. The light almost sparkling sound echoed around the hard brick wall. No doubt someone would have heard it. Wolf got to work smashing some of the excess glass away with his elbow, so they would be able to climb through the gap without being cut to pieces. Alex ushered Daniel through first.

He clambered up, with the help of his dad and then jumped out the other side. He looked around and noticed they were in the middle of a forest; every direction appeared to be the same, the same oak trees and fern shrubs littering the grassy ground.

"You go next." Alex told wolf as he looked behind him, hearing shouts echoing down the corridors towards them. As Wolf heaved himself through quickly Alex saw the guards appear at the end. Firearms raised, by the looks of it. Then nothing more than a shower of bullets hit them. Wolf and Daniel ducked behind the remains of the door. Bullets which didn't find their target, either smashed the glass on the floor some more or hit the walls beside him.

Alex was afraid that if he turned to climb out of the window he would be shot.

Looks like he would have to take that chance.

* * *

**Sorry it took so long to update... this chapter was really hard to write..**

**Thanks if you are still reading... Please review and I will update as soon as I can, however I do have a load of year 11 exams in the next month or two to do and revise for. So it may be a while... I'll do my best. I'll count it as English revision. Hehe **

**HollyBlue2 **


	14. Chapter 13

Thank you to:

ARfanfictionlover1, EchoedMusic, How Awkward, Valkyriexx, XxHelixRiderxX, acecdg, Snowflake13300, bubzchoc, SiriuslyImemine, anime-lyric, Sailingseas, ReillyScarecrowRocks

For all your lovely reviews

(Please be warned that there is a part or two that may be a bit 'goryish'... (Makes you go eww)

Chapter 13

The guard advance forwards, they had stopped firing for a single moment to reload their magazines. Alex took his chance.

He spun round, the glass crushing under the soles of his feet. He hauled himself up onto the windows ledge; he felt a piece of glass pierce into his hand. There was a bang behind him. They were shooting again. Their Grand Power K100s firing off rounds.

A burning pain in his right shoulder told him he'd been shot. He leapt out of the window and down on the other side. He moved to the side out of the way and found Wolf and Daniel behind the wall. He clutched his shoulder; crimson blood was seeping through the gaps in his fingers. His other hand, which had been cut by the glass, was bleeding sluggishly. The shard of glass had broken off and was now wedged into his hand. He daren't pull it out, knowing it would probably bleed more if he did.

Still grasping his shoulder he sneaked a look around the wall. It was hardly a second but the guard had noticed him. More shots were fired. Hitting the corner of the wall and breaking bits of the brick off of it.

There were lots of trees ahead of them. Good cover, Alex thought.

"Daniel, the tree dead ahead of me, see it?" Alex whispered to him, just loud enough so he would be able to hear over the loud racket around them. Daniel nodded his head. "When I say run, run as fast as you can to that tree and stay behind it. OK?" Daniel nodded. The trunk of the tree thicker than the others, it should be enough for Daniel to hide behind.

"RUN!" Alex shouted. Daniel ran as fast as he could towards the tree Alex had pointed out. He reached it in good time as another bout of shots was fired. The door had been kicked open. Guards were scattered around.

One of them came around the corner and found Alex and Wolf. They looked at each other with a menacing look on their faces and lunged towards the guard. Wolf threw a punch to the man's jaw just as he raised his weapon to fire. Alex jumped up and grabbed the weapon from his hand. He stepped back and took aim.

Bang!

A shot was fired and it plummeted into the man's skull, square between the eyes. Alex closed his eyes tight, trying not to think about the guards sorrowed face as he fell to the floor. He swallowed hard, a hand was placed on his shoulder and another hand lowered the weapon he was still holding like his life depended on it (ironically it did).

"Alex, it's alright mate. I've got you." He pulled the boy in close to him as he noticed tears in the corner of Alex's eyes. He too remembered the day he first killed a man. He'd only been eighteen, just out training, shipped out to Afghanistan. He was still in the Army then.

"Is he dead?" Alex muttered.

"Yes, come on, we've got to get out of here. Good shot by the way." Wolf grinned, showing his namesake.

Alex managed to crack a smile, even though he hid the truth.

Alex popped his head round the corner of the wall; seeing no guards he signalled Wolf and the dashed towards the tree in a zigzag motion, just as they'd been taught in the SAS.

They both slid behind the tree.

"I didn't think you two were coming."

"Uh... we had company..." Wolf explained, not going in to detail, they didn't have time.

"Right, I saw a guard heading that way," Alex pointed to his slight right. "We're probably best to head in the other direction. If we see anyone, we need to get into cover as quick as possible." Alex voice was stern, Wolf had noticed, it had sounded like one of the mission briefs the Colonel would give before they went out.

"I'll go first," Wolf opted.

"OK, Daniel, you follow your dad and I'll go TEC." Wolf smiled at the abbreviation known as Tail-End-Charlie; who in a standard patrol in the army or SAS would be the last man. "Wolf, head over to the wooded area infront of you, we'll hide in there until we can work out where we are and what direction is which way."

"Roger that." He whispered and moved off looking to his right and left, making sure o more guards were there. He didn't want Alex or Daniel to see another one 'dealt with'.

He walked stealthily across the forest floor, rolling his feet to the side and placing them down carefully, being wary of any twigs that may sap under his weight and give them away.

Daniel made sure to step exactly where his dad stepped; Alex did the same.

The finally got to the part of the forest that was denser and they were able to relax a little. Daniel was leant up against a tree, as was Wolf. Alex stood in front of them. He was watching for anyone who'd followed them to where they were.

Alex thought he heard something. He looked at the ground and focused on what he could hear. A quiet, but distinctive, snap of a twig gave something – someone away. He lifted his head slowly and saw someone dash behind a tree. Big mistake. The eye is able to easily pick up quick sharp movements; Alex saw what tree he'd hid behind. He crept forward, Glancing at Wolf as he past him. Alex shook his head softly to tell Wolf not to do anything. Alex slipped in behind the other side of the tree to which the guard was hiding behind.

_One, two, three! _Alex counted and dashed to where the guard was stood. The guard has no time to react before Alex had kneed him in the groin. The guard bent over in pain and Alex put his forearm up to the man throat ad pushed him against the tree. The man started to choke; Alex placed a hand over his mouth to stop any noise. Alex was breathing heavily.

The man was too strong, even in the choke hold. The guard pushed him backwards and he nearly stumbled. He gained his guard as he'd been taught in the karate lessons and placing his left foot in front of his right he bent his legs a little, pulled his weight to the right and kicked out in a circular motion with his right leg, twisting his hips to the left for more momentum. The kick made contact to the man's face and he was knocked onto the floor, barely conscious. The guard began to get up. Alex's fists were already balled up and ready to punch him. His eyes narrowed. Ranging with some sort of anger, he had no idea where it's come from. He breathed heavily out of his nose. The man only managed to get to his knees before Alex punched him in the nose, pushing the cartilage upwards and into the brain, killing his instantly.

He man lay on the floor now, pale and cold. The adrenaline rush ended and Alex began to feel slightly sick. He put his hand up to his mouth, shaking slightly. He wandered back over Wold and Daniel.

He didn't look at them as he passed, his hands were still shaking and he guessed that his face would be pale. He wouldn't face Wolf now. That was the second time he had killed someone today. He knew the other two would follow him so he carried on walking.

Every time he blinked flashes of the man's face came to his vision. There was a slight stinging behind his eyes as tears tried to make their way to the surface. He pushed them away and tried to breathe out calmly.

_In, and out. In, and out. _He told himself. He soon calmed down and the face of the man began to fade. He then realised how cold he was. He shivered violently and rubbed his bare arms and hugged himself as he lack the warmth of a shirt.

Wolf made his way behind Alex, worried. Daniel kept glancing at his dad, noticing the worry in his eyes.

"He'll be alright... Won't he?" Daniel asked quietly.

"I hope so... I really hope so." He saw Alex shiver and began to take his own shirt off. He caught up with Alex who was still hugging himself in aid to get some heat and passed him the shirt.

"Take this." He smiled gently.

"What about yourself; you'll get cold." He said, frowning a little.

"Nah, I'm alright." Wolf pressed the shirt into Alex's hands. He watched as Alex pulled on the shirt and how he relaxed when it was on.

"Thanks,"

The carried on walking. Alex hoped that the idea of moss growing more on the North side of trees and rocks would lead them North and then eventually to a road. Hopefully.

Wow, I think that was my longest chapter

Please review!


	15. Chapter 14

Thank you to:

Purplefreak111, Iamtherealmaverick, Scamp87, DammitimmaD, Bubzchoc, Anime-lyric, ALBANY, AzraelLilith, SamayouTamashi, EchoedMusic, XxHelixRiderxX, The Slytherin Golden Girl, Writer with Sprite and iSaphira

**Family Ties – Chapter 14**

It seemed like hours passed before they finally saw a set of headlamps in the distance and the sound of a vehicle whooshing past.

"Nearly there Alex, just hold on a bit longer." Wolf reassured. Alex's condition had gone downhill the further they had walked, draining his energy. Alex was breathing heavily and limping slightly from where he had tripped over a tree root previously and hurt his ankle and Daniel seemed to be constantly coughing.

Daniel stopped for a second for his coughing to subside, he brought a hand up to his mouth and when he took it away he saw specks of blood on his hand, it worried him but he wiped his hand on his trousers and carried on.

* * *

Finally getting to the side of the road Wolf noticed it was quiet. It was only a small road, meaning not very many cars would come down here. Especially not now it was about one in the morning. Wolf ran a hand through his hair and sighed quietly.

Alex plonked himself down on a tree stump and rested his head in his hands ignoring the throbbing pain in his shoulder.

"If there is someone, what are we going to tell them – we were kidnapped by a terrorist organisation?" Alex questioned.

Wolf thought for a moment. "Camping trip, uh, we were chased by Grizzly bears and had to find the nearest road?"

"I don't think we have bears in Britain, Dad. A badger maybe?"

"Tell you what we'll make it up as we go along." Alex suggested hearing a faint sound of a car in the distance. He stood up, swaying dangerously then steadied himself.

Wolf moved out into the road to stop the car. He stuck his thumb out asking for a lift. He squinted as the headlights shined brightly in his eyes. He could hear the car coming to a stop.

The man turned off his front lights so that Wolf wasn't overly blinded anymore and wound down his window.

"You guys alright?" He asked kindly, Wolf could see the driver assessing each of them in doubt.

"Yeah, we're kinda stuck and we don't have any way to get back home." Wolf told him; the man smiled.

"Hop in." The driver had seemed unsure at first, especially seeing as Wolf had no shirt on, Daniel was bruised and Alex had blood on the t-shirt he was wearing from the shot wound. Daniel got in first and slid himself across to the other side of the back seat. Wolf helped Alex into the other seat and Wolf got into the front.

"Thank you." Wolf said as they started off.

"Quite alright, what happened to you, you look kinda bashed up; the lot of you?"

"Err... it's a long story." Wolf let out an awkward laugh.

"That's ok. I won't pry." The man had fortunately not seen Alex's bleeding arm as he kept it tucked up next to Daniel in the back of the car.

"Where you headed?"

"Up the A24, into the city."

"That's perfect, thank you."

* * *

The rest of the journey was silent. When they finally reached the city, Alex was sleeping in the back, as was Daniel.

Wolf saw a sign for a hospital.

"Could you stop here? Thanks." Wolf asked. James, the driver, indicated and pulled up to the curb. Wolf exited the car and opened the back door to where a sleeping Alex was. He tapped the boy on the shoulder and he flinched away from it slightly and his eyes snapped open.

"It's ok Alex," Wolf told him. "We're going on foot from here; it's only around the corner." Alex nodded tiredly and got out the car. On the way out of the car he caught his arm on the door and it sent a wave of pain through his body and he clutched his injured arm.

"Daniel, wake up..." He said he place a knee on the seat and reached across to shake his son awake. He was startled awake and made his way, quickly, out of the car. He started coughing again.

"Where are we?" Daniel asked, yawning; Wolf told him that they were near a hospital.

Alex started to sway slightly on his feet and it was lucky Wolf was there to catch him as otherwise he'd have fallen to the floor and probably hurt himself more than he already was. He lifted Alex up into his arms and carried him the short distance to the hospital.

Daniel followed his dad closely as they walked through the automatic doors.

"Can I have some help here please?" Wolf shouted. A passing nurse cam up to them and asked them what was wrong. "He collapsed about five minutes ago. Someone – people - hurt him." He was careful with what he said.

The nurse shouted out for some more help and for a bed to put the unconscious boy on.

"What's him name?" She asked.

"Alex," He told her. The nurse turned her attention to the other nurses and doctors who were trying to suss what was wrong with him. They brought him into the trauma room.

"He has a bullet wound to the right shoulder. Someone get some pressure on it!" The doctor ordered.

Alex began to wake, only to find himself crowded around by doctors and nurses with blue scrubs on. One of the doctors saw he was awake and shined a light into his eyes. He clamped them shut from the glare, only for them to be prised open again. There was too much going on. He tried to wriggle out from under the doctor grip but the group of five were too strong for them.

"Alex, you need to stay still for us." One of the doctors said too close to his face.

"BP 115/70, heart rate 104, respiratory rate 21*." One of the nurses shouted over the buzz of the room.

"Alex, you need to calm down, you'll be alright." A nurse reassured him. Wolf came into the room, one of the doctors tried to get him out but he wasn't having any of it.

"Alex," He said, trying to get to him through the mass of people. "Let them help you, they're not going to hurt you, I promise." Wolf wasn't one to make promises, especially ones that were hard to keep. Before he knew it he was being pushed back out of the room and into the corridor when Daniel was. He was coughing again, he'd noticed that he was coughing up more blood and this time his dad had noticed.

"Daniel..." Wolf's heart began to race. "Is that blood?" He asked attentively. His son said nothing but he nodded instead. Wolf put a hand around his shoulder and guided him to the reception area.

"Can I have some help, please; my son is coughing up blood?" Wolf asked. The lady at the reception looked up from her paperwork. She moved herself around the desk and took them over to a cubicle to the side.

"Make yourself comfortable, a nurse will be here in a minute." She smiled as she watched Daniel crawl up onto the bed and his dads hand reach out to hold onto his son's own. Daniel rubbed his chest, it was aching badly. It felt as if he had no air I him and he was rapidly trying to replace it. Wolf noticed a sheen of sweat across his face, but he was also shivering slightly. He was getting worse and rapidly...

* * *

So what do you think?

I have 2 exams left one on friday and one next week :D Then it's over... I might be able to update in that time but i might leave it until afterwards :)

*I did my research and it said that for a 14+ years old BP (blood pressure) should be 110/65 – 140/90... Heart rate (beats per minute) should be about 60-100 and respiratory rate should be about 12-20 breaths per minute.


	16. Chapter 15

A/N: Well... here we go... this may not be as long as the last few chapters have been but I'm supposed to be writing up the 14 case studies I need to know for my geography exam on Friday ;)

Thank you to:

iSaphira, ReillyScarecrowRocks, Se7enFreaker, xDarklightx, bubzchoc, AzrealLilith, DammitimmaD, XxhelixRiderxX and anime-lyric

* * *

**Family Ties**

**Chapter 15**

* * *

A doctor came to see Daniel five minutes later, he was coughing again. The doctor listened to Daniel's lungs with his stethoscope which was around his neck.

"His lungs don't sound good. It's probably pneumonia. We'll take an x-ray of his chest to confirm."

"OK, will he alright though?" He said concerned.

"He should be fine after a course of antibiotics, if that is the case."

"It isn't... uh... can I talk to you privately somewhere?" He said, Wolf stood up and the doctor followed him out of the curtain. Wolf took him to a quiet corner of the emergency department. "He was drowned." He said bluntly. The doctor gave him a confused look. "No! I didn't drown my son," relief was clear of the doctor face. "What I'm going to say now isn't to go to the police-"

"It will if necessary." He said stubbornly.

"No, believe me it won't. Just listen to me and you'll see why. We were taken by a powerful terrorist organisation; uh... what's the date?"

"17th of May."

"... A week and a half ago" He carried on. "Daniel was tortured, the man poured water over him and he probably breathed some of it in to his lungs as he couldn't cough it up as any normal person would do because of the amount of water." The doctor paled and he looked like he was going to throw up. "The boy in the trauma room, he was with us. He was worst off."

The doctor took a minute to compose himself before turning away from Wolf, heading back to the cubicle. He placed an oxygen mask over Daniel's nose and mouth and began to listen again to the sounds of his lungs.

"We won't know for definite how bad it is until we get the x-rays done. I phone now and see if we can have them done within the hour." Wolf nodded and watched as the doctor exited the curtain.

"What did you tell him?" Daniel asked.

"Not much," he replied. "I'll be back in a few minutes; I'm going to see how Alex is getting on." Daniel nodded.

He wandered over to the trauma room where Alex was being kept a close eye on. He looked as if he were asleep.

"Alex?" He called to him quietly reaching the side of his bed.

"Yeah," He replied croakily. He reached up and pulled the mask off of his face that was giving him oxygen.

"How're you feeling?"

"Like absolute crap, to be honest." Wolf chuckled.

"What about your back. Have the doctors seen it?"

"No, but it's killing me."

"Do you want me to have a look?" He wasn't a medic, that was Snake's profession, but he knew his first aid. He saw Alex nod and then moved round to the right side of the bed. He rolled him over onto his left and heard Alex gasp.

"Ow!" He exclaimed.

"Yeah, it looks pretty bad if I'm honest." He rolled him back onto his back, he felt bad for him when he saw Alex wince in pain. "I'm going to go and get a doctor."

Alex said nothing as Wolf went out the door to get a doctor; he came back a few seconds later.

The doctor rolled him over onto his side again and he gasped.

"I'll get some antiseptic and we'll clear up any infection there is with antibiotics." She left the room and came back with tree more doctors, two of them were Foundation Doctors (F1's). The doctor with them was their tutor. She had thought this would be a good patient for the two F1's to study.

The female F1, Jean Harris, had long brunette hair and deep green eyes. She had a light lip gloss on her lips that glinted in the light of the trauma room. Her eyes showed her nerves but also determination.

The other F1, Oscar Reed, was male with short blond hair hat was spiked up as most young people do these days. He had brown eyes, which as Jean's eyes did showed nerves, but not as much determination.

Their tutor, Dr. Madison Fitzgerald watched them as they neared the patients back. The tray next to them was all they needed to treat Alex's back.

Jean saw how straight the wounds were and thought the worst that could have happened to the boy. She could feel tears behind her eyes and refused to let them fall. A had was placed on her shoulder and it dragged her out the room. It was then the tears came.

"What's wrong Jean?" The girl shrugged her shoulders.

"I don't know, the lacerations on his back, they're... they're..." She broke off sobbing. Dr. Fitzgerald took her over to the staff room. No one was in there.

"Stay here, you'll be okay in a bit. You don't have to carry on this study if you don't want to, I'll find you another one." Jean smiled gently and DR. Fitzgerald went out the room.

She went back into the trauma room where Reed was cleaning out Alex's wounds. He was concentrating hard and was nearly done by the time his tutor came back in.

"Alex, I'll be back in a sec I need to tell Lizzie I'm ok... we're all OK."

"I wouldn't say I was OK to be honest." He said sarcastically. So he still had it in him. Wolf grinned and dashed out of the room.

He found a phone on the wall next to the reception and asked the lady if he could borrow it.

"Of course."

He dialled his home number.

"Hello?" It was Lizzie.

Wolf was quiet for a moment, unsure what to say.

"Hello?" Lizzie repeated, sounding a little frustrated.

"Hi, it's me..." Wolf replied. He nearly cried himself when he heard Lizzie sobbing on the other side of the phone. There was a crash as the phone landed on the floor. Lizzie could still be heard crying. It was a couple of minutes before she picked up the phone.

"Lewis..." She sniffed. "Where are you?"

"I'm at... hold on..." He put a hand over the talk piece and asked the lady at the reception.

"St. Anne's Hospital."

"St. Anne's Hospital." He repeated.

"Is Daniel OK? Are you OK? What about Alex? What happened?"

"Hey, don't worry, Daniel may have pneumonia, that's what the doctor said, he's just gone to have his chest x-rayed for confirmation. I'm fine; Alex is the worst off unfortunately. I'll tell you more lately, are you coming here?"

"Yes!" She practically shouted.

"You have Ellie, don't you?" Lewis's heart began to race.

"Yeah. She safe, with me."

"Phew." He breathed a sigh of relief. He heard shouting behind him and realised it was the doctors in Alex's room.

"Sorry, I have to go. I love you." He blew her a kiss down the line

"Love you too. I'll see you soon." Lewis placed the phone back on the hook and rushed into Alex's room to see him trying, yet again, to get out of the doctors' grips.

"Alex," He said, bending over to meet at eye level with Alex. "Look at me Alex." He told him Alex did so and Wolf could see the distress in his eyes. He placed a hand on his head. "It's ok. They're trying to help you; let them." He looked over at the doctors, signalling them to carry on with what they were doing.

Wolf stroked his hair to try ad calm him down. It was obvious he was in pain.

"Can't you give him anything for the pain?" He wondered, his tone stern.

"He's had all we can give him." The doctor informed him. Wolf frowned and turned his attention back to Alex, reassuring him.

* * *

Ten minutes later, Alex had fallen asleep. Wolf got up silently and crept out of the room. The doctors would be moving Alex upstairs into Recovery in about two hour's time.

He went back to Daniel. He was snoozing in the cubicle, back from his x-ray. The doctor was in the checking him over again and had a large envelope in his hand.

He pulled out the films of the x-ray Daniel had had. Holding them up to the light he showed Wolf his findings.

It was pneumonia. And it was bad. The doctor began to explain the procedure needed for this type of pneumonia. He needed to clear the water that was water-logging his lungs and then get rid of the pneumonia with a course of antibiotics.

* * *

Alex woke. He was in a different room than before. This one seemed quieter and there were other people here too. They were all sleeping. There was a constant beeping of the heart monitor beside him. His back felt like it was on fire. His shoulder wasn't so bad. He sat himself up in his bed and a wave of pain went through him like a knife. He sighed.

A young woman and a little girl came through the door of the ward and he instantly recognised them. It was Elizabeth and Ellie.

"Hey," She said warmly.

"Hi," He replied. "How are you?"

"I'm fine, it's you lot I'm worried about." She placed Ellie on a more comfortable place on her hip.

"I'm fine. Have you seen Daniel? Or Wo – Lewis?"

"Yes, Daniel ahs pneumonia, they're going to clear his lungs and then he'll be on a course of antibiotics for about two weeks." She told him. "Lewis won't tell me what happened... Can you tell me?"

"I don't think you want to know, that why he wouldn't tell you. Sorry, it wasn't exactly nice what happened. It was all my fault too. If only I hadn't got all messed up in this situation then perhaps we wouldn't be here right now."

"What mess?"

"I work for a government organisation, and I 'accidently' got mixed up with a terrorist organisation and it all went downhill from there. Long story shot: They want me dead."

"Oh." That was all she could say. She looked at Ellie who yawned and put her head on Elizabeth's shoulder.

"Could you pass me that wheelchair over there please?" He asked noticing it I the corner of the room.

"Yeah, should you be getting out of bed though?

"No one has told me not to... so... yes." He smiled.

* * *

Okey dokey... that's done and longer than I expected ;) ... now perhaps I can revise for tomorrow morning Geography exam

Please REVIEW! YAY! :D


	17. Chapter 16

Thank you to:

Sapphire2309, bubzchoc, Torn Apart Paper Dinosaur, anime-lyric, DammitimmaD, Fanfictionaddict1, ReillyScarecrowRocks and AzraelLilith

* * *

**Family Ties**

**Chapter 16**

* * *

Elizabeth brought over the wheelchair, guiding it with a single hand as she held Ellie's hand in the other. Alex climbed out of his bed slowly as not to hurt himself or to show Elizabeth he was more hurt than she thought.

"Can you hold Ellie's hand while I wheel you?"

"Yeah sure." Elizabeth let go of Ellie's hand ad she grabbed onto Alex's hand instantly. Ellie smiled.

"Do you know what I did in school yesterday?" She asked sweetly.

"No, what did you do in school?"

"I got to paint a pretty picture."

"What was the picture of?" He wondered.

"I painted you." She told him.

"Thank you, I'm sure it is beautiful. Perhaps you could show me when we get home." They reached the lift. "Do you want to press the button?" Ellie nodded and went up to the button, on her tip-toes and pressed it. It pinged a few moments later and the doors opened. Elizabeth wheeled Alex in and spun him around so he was facing the doors. She pressed the button for the ground floor and the door closed silently.

It was the classic awkward silence in the lift just for those few minutes it travelled, the soft sleepy music playing quietly in the background, and as soon as the doors opened again it was like nothing had happened.

"Do you mind if I go and see Daniel?" She asked.

"That's fine." Alex smiled.

* * *

Alex soon began to feel tired and his head dropped as he dozed off in his wheelchair.

"Alex? Are you sleeping?" Ellie asked in a whisper, shaking his knee.

"Yes darling, I think Alex is asleep. Shall we take him back to his bed?" Ellie nodded.

They got back to the room where a nurse was waiting impatiently. "He shouldn't have been out of bed!" She told Elizabeth.

"He asked." Lizzie retorted. The nurse helped Alex back into his bed and then she left.

* * *

Arghh! I'm running out of ideas... can someone give me an idea or two to get me going again... please...

Sorry this chapter was short but this is all I could write... my mind has gone blank and plot bunnies are hitting me left, right and centre for anything other than this fanfiction :/

* * *

Thank you for reading :)


	18. Chapter 17

Thank you everyone who gave me some wonderful ideas :) - DammitimmaD, ReillyScarecrowRocks, bubzchoc, Torn Apart Paper Dinosaur, Se7enFreaker, How Awkward This Must Be and XxHelixRiderxX...

A/N: This Chapter is set 3 weeks after the last chapter... Alex, Wolf and Daniel are out of the hospital and they have been home for a week...

* * *

**Family Ties**

**Chapter 17**

* * *

Something didn't feel right. Then again to Alex nothing felt right. Ever.

He woke from his sleep, nightmares plaguing the little sleep he'd had as they'd done for the past three weeks, at first he'd forced himself to stay awake but it didn't help, his mind succumbed to sleep eventually and the nightmare would haunt him.

* * *

_MI6 headquarters, the Royal and General bank, Liverpool Street_

Mrs. Jones looked smug as she walked into Blunts office.

"We've got him. Smithers had had a tracker in him this whole time without telling us. It only took a little threatening of his home, job and family to get him to tell me where Rider was." Mrs. Jones said, coldly.

"Good. Where is he?" Blunt asked in the same tone.

"He has been at a house, just outside Chelsea, for the past three weeks. The house belongs to Lewis Harrington."

"Get the unit he trained with before Operation Stormbreaker to retrieve him, they know him and perhaps Rider might trust them. Agent Daniels can join his old team for this mission. I've seen those two work together. Rider trusts him... but not for long."

"Yes sir." Mrs. Jones said and walked out of the office to make the relevant phone call to a certain Sergeant near Hereford, where the SAS barracks were.

* * *

_SAS Barracks, near Hereford._

The phone rang. The sergeant picked it up. "Hello?"

"Hello, this is Mrs. Jones from MI6."

"Ma'am."

"I want K-Unit in your office now." The voice was cold. K-Unit were currently on exercise in the Brecon Beacons.

"I'm sorry Ma'am that is not possible; they are on Exercise at the moment. They will be back in about 41 hour's time."

"Not good enough, I want them off exercise now; I have a mission for them."

"Yes Ma'am." The sergeant put the phone down. He hated backing down, but this was MI6.

He radioed Wolf, explaining the situation, telling him a jeep would pick them up in an hour.

* * *

_MI6 headquarters, the Royal and General bank, Liverpool Street_

"K-unit are just coming off exercise and will be about an hour and a half."

"Thank you Mrs. Jones." Mrs. Jones once again left the grey office housing the cold Mr. Blunt. Alex Rider had been off the radar for about 7 months. It was time to get him back.

An hour and a half later the phone in Mrs. Jones' office began to ring. She picked it up.

"Ma'am K-Unit are here."

"Good." She pressed a button and the call transferred to Mr. Blunt's office where he picked up the phone and explained the mission to K-unit.

* * *

Alex Rider was just about to sleep as there was a knock on the door. Without thinking he carefully climbed out of the guest bed and trundled downstairs to see Wolf opening the door. It was Ben.

"Hey Ben," Alex said casually; totally unaware of the danger. He was dressed in MTP* camouflage which was odd but he passed it off, he was tired. K-Unit were stood behind him.

Wolf allowed them in. They were all dressed in their camouflage gear. Wolf noticed the holster on the side of each of their right legs, though it did not hold their normal SIGs.

"Alex, can I speak to you in the living room please?" Ben asked. Alex stepped down the last step gingerly and followed Ben into the living room.

"What do you want to talk about?" Alex asked.

Alex was stood with his back to the door and attention on Ben. Eagle, Snake and Lion (the new member) silently closed in around the boy.

He felt eyes bearing into the back of him. Snapping his head round he saw he was being surrounded.

"What's going on?" He demanded. He turned round and saw each of the men aside from Ben take something out of their holster. Their SIGs had been replaced with a much less deadly weapon.

They held them up. Lion, to the left of Alex, held his slightly lower than the other two men. This was a kid.

Snake, to the right of Alex, held his up firm, though he was determined not to fire. Not a Cub, not at their own team member.

Eagle was stood directly behind Alex, weapon ready to fire.

"Ben?" Alex asked as he turned to face him. Ben's attention was averted as he looked at Eagle. He fired his weapon. The bolts of electricity darted forward and hit Alex in the back. Alex stood startled for no more than a second before falling face down on the floor. Tasered...

The electricity of the taser paralysed Alex for long enough for Lion to handcuff him. As Alex's body shrugged off the effects he found he was cuffed, hand behind his back and pinned to the floor by Snake's knee pressed into the small of his back.

Wolf moved forward. It'd all happened so fast he had had no time to react and when he did he found himself to be restrained by Ben.

"Where are you taking him?" Wolf shouted. It was loud enough to arouse Elizabeth and Daniel from their sleep and they were soon at the lounge door watching. Elizabeth was shocked to see her husband being restrained by Ben. Then her eyes rested on Alex who was still pinned to the ground. Eagle was currently pulling something out of Alex's back. It looked like two hooks of some sort attached to a thin wire.

"You tasered him?" Disappointment written across his face.

"We didn't want to Lizzie. Just following orders. MI6 said Alex would trust us. So we were the best people for the job. I'm sorry." Ben told her. A lone tear ran down her face.

They had ignored Wolf's question.

Snake pulled the boy up from the floor and forced him out of the front door of the house. Lion opened the door to the jeep that had been parked outside the house. Snake placed a hand on Alex head to make sure he didn't hit it on the car as he was forced inside.

Ben, still holding Wolf back, looked his friend in the eyes. "I'm really sorry Lewis. They blackmailed me into this." Ben made Wolf sit on the settee before he walked out the front door after the other three.

It took a moment for Wolf to realise what'd happened... he ran for the door. The engine of the car had just started. He began tapping on the window. Ben ignored him as best as he could. He couldn't bear betraying his friend. Not after two years in the SAS. He drove off, leaving Wolf standing there...

* * *

*MTP – Multi Terrain Pattern, the new style British Army Uniform. Look it up... :)

Once again that you everyone for your ideas it really inspired me... this fic will be finished within a few chapters.. perhaps 3-5 more chapters... I will be including some of your ideas when he's out of this mess... Who will get him out? Find out in the next chapter :)

Please** review**... I love them and they make me happy... Very happy... I have cookies too... (does that count as a bribe? hehe)


	19. Chapter 18

Thank you everyone who reviewed :) I really appreciate it... But I've run out of cookies now :)

How Awkward This Must Be, DammitimmaD, It'sFun2Bcrazy, bubzchoc, ReillyScarecrowRocks, Torn Apart Paper Dinosaur, MonssterUnderYourBed, Se7venFreaker and XxHelixRiderxX.

* * *

**Family Ties**

**Chapter 18**

* * *

Alex sat in silence in the back of the jeep. He listened to the thrum of the engine as it made its way to the MI6 Headquarters. Ben kept giving glancing at the boy as he drove. Alex wasn't sure if they were worry or guilty.

"I'm sorry Alex." Ben said eventually.

"I know," Alex replied, not moving from his position of looking pout of the tinted window in the back of the car.

Ben pulled round the back of the bank and got out of the car. Opening the boot, he pulled out his kit, before letting Alex out of the back seat. Ben guided him to the back entrance as the front one was closed by his shoulders. He scanned his card in the scanner that had been concealed behind the keypad.

There was a hiss as the door released and Ben and Alex walked in. There was a large guard who was stood behind the door.

"I can take Rider from here Agent Daniels. Mrs. Jones said thank you." There was brief eye contact between the guard and Ben as the guard pulled Alex away by his handcuffs.

Ben ran up the stairs to his office. It was quiet and peaceful. He twisted his vertical blinds so that he could see into the night. He sighed.

He felt guilty for betraying Alex but there had been no choice. He had told them he wouldn't do it but Mr. Blunt had threatened his job.

* * *

Alex sat in the MI6 holding cell in one of the corridors he'd never been down before. There was a single bed on the back wall and the whole room was painted stark white. There was a ventilator fan in one corner. He contemplated escaping through it but it was too small and he didn't think Blunt and Jones would be that stupid to put an escape route in an MI6 holding cell.

He had already tried banging on the door, calling for anyone to tell him why he was being held against his will in a holding cell. Now he sat perched on the edge of the bed, head in his hands. He saw a shadow from underneath the door and he stood up.

The door was opened and the guard who brought him up earlier came in, handcuff in his hand. Alex would have none of it. He didn't want to be here. He didn't want to be anywhere. He stood in his chosen fighting stance. The guard already had been out of habit as he'd come into the room. The guard pulled a gun out of his holster. Alex knew the first thing he needed to do was to get rid of the gun or even get it for himself so he put up his right hand and grabbed hold of the guards wrist. He twisted it in a 'Chinese Burn' style and the guard clenched his teeth but the gun remained in his hand. Alex let go. Suddenly Alex saw a hand propelling towards his stomach and stepped backwards to avoid it. As soon as Alex saw the guards hand retreat back he stepped forward and punched the man in the face, and again in the stomach. While the guard doubled over, Alex knocked the gun out of the guards hand and sent it spinning across the concrete floor of the holding cell. He reached back for it but the guard had already recovered and tackled Alex to the floor and reached back for his gun. Alex had hit his head on the floor and dazed him long enough for the guard to dash out the room and lock the door behind him. For Alex this was not good. The guard would have to speak to Mrs. Jones and ask her to take more strengthened methods.

As the guard left he heard the faint beep of the electronic key car lock the door once more. Alex retreated back to perching on the edge of the bed, head in hands.

It was about twenty minutes later he could tell something was not right about the room. He began to feel light-headed and he could feel his eyes drooping... He was out cold by the time he'd got round to doing anything.

* * *

Ok, So I have a guilty Ben, a knocked out Alex in an MI6 holding cell... what next? Well you get to know why Alex was on the run in the first place :) Please review :)


	20. Chapter 19

Thank you for all your lovely reviews :)

Se7enFreaker, Brisinger 11, bubzchoc, JR660, XxHelixRiderxX, purplefreak111, It'sFun2BCrazy, Torn Apart Paper Dinosaur, MonssterUnderYourBed, DammitimmaD and ReillyScarecrowRocks.

* * *

**Family Ties**

**Chapter 19**

* * *

His head pounded and his eyes fluttered open. Alex lifted his head gently, allowing his eyes to adjust to the harsh lighting in the office he was in.

Mrs. Jones noticed that Alex was awake and began to speak to him.

"Rider, you know you have put national security in danger, don't you?" Alex said nothing nor moved a muscle. He did not want to talk right now.

"Rider, listen when you are spoken to!" Mrs. Jones shouted, startling him.

"I don't care!" Alex's words were slurred as he was still slightly drug induced. He made to stand up only fining that he couldn't as his hands were bound to the chair with handcuffs.

"You know you care Alex, don't be so rash. We had to send Burns to do the mission _you _were supposed to do and it got him KILLED!" Alex's brow furrowed. He's never really heard Mrs. Jones shout. He looked up from staring at the ground and locked eyes with Mrs. Jones.

"Tell me what happened to Jack." Ale said coldly, not breaking the eye contact.

"How do you mean? You know what happened; she was killed by a Scorpia agent." She said, her voice returning to the calm and collectedness as normal.

"Was she really killed by a Scorpia agent?" Alex said accusingly.

Mrs. Jones knew the truth, but she wouldn't tell Alex.

* * *

Wolf sat quietly on the steps leading to his house. He didn't know what to do. He put his head in his hands. He eventually began to feel tired but couldn't be bothered to go inside. He shuffled himself back towards the wall of the house and rested, eventually falling asleep, with the night air cool on his skin.

When morning came, Lizzie panicked as her husband was not next to her in the double bed. She pulled on her fluffy purple dressing gown and dashed downstairs to the living room. He had been known in the past to sleep on the settee, but he was not there. She opened the front door, not taking notice of the fact it was unlocked.

There he was, sound asleep on the doorstep. She smiled a little as she sat next to him and tousled his dark military cut hair. Wolf's legs were tucked up against his well-built body his dark arms hung loosely over the top of his knees. Elizabeth kissed him on the cheek and he woke. He shivered from the morning cold and snuggled up to his wife in her warm dressing gown. He smiled.

"They took him last night, they took Alex..." Lewis told Elizabeth sullenly.

"Who took him?" She wondered.

"MI6..." Elizabeth sighed.

"I'll be right back." Elizabeth had an idea.

She went into the living room and picked up the home phone. She dialled a number.

"Hello?" the voice on the other end of the line was female, similar to Lizzie's own voice.

"Hey Becca, its Lizzie." She said. Becca was a social worker and her older sister (by two years).*

"Hey Lizzie, what's up?"

"A friend of my husband's son is underage but has no one to look after him; I was wondering if you had any adoption papers you could send, preferably by e-mail?"

"Yeah, I do, I'll scan them onto my computer in a sec and send them to you. What's his name?"

"Alex."

"Ok, they'll be with you ASAP, bye."

"Bye." She put the phone back on its holder and went over to the computer and turned it on. A few minutes later when the computer was loaded up Lizzie opened her e-mail and sure enough the adoption papers were there. She printed them off ad filled them out. She scanned them, sending them back to her sister to file and validate. She picked up the originals and went back outside to where Lewis was waiting for her.

"Where did you go, you were ages?" Lewis asked.

"To get these," She shoved the papers into Lewis' hand. He skimmed through them, disbelievingly.

* * *

It took a lot of talking, well more interrogating, for Alex to get the truth. And when that time came, Mrs. Jones was sweating as she didn't want Alex knowing the truth.

"Alex I'm telling you she was killed by a Scorpia agent. End of story." She said frustrated.

"You're lying!" He shouted at her for the umpteenth time.

Mrs. Jones swallowed nervously. Alex caught her nervousness.

"See, I know you're lying. Tell me the truth... Please." Tears of anger, frustration and sadness were threatening to fall but he wouldn't let them. Unfortunately without the use of his hands to wipe them away he could do nothing when they fell, one each side creating a track down both cheeks.

"Blunt ordered it." Mrs. Jones mumbled...

* * *

So, a little cliffy for you there...

Please review... Pweeeessseee :)

*I have a family tree for all the members of the SAS including the wives' families too... I'm soo sad... lol


	21. Chapter 20

Thank you for all your reviews: XxHelixRiderxX, iSaphira, Fanfictionaddict1, Torn Apart Paper Dinosaur, ReillyScarecrowRocks, armygirl1234 and DammitimmaD.

So I reckon this will be the second to last chapter or there maybe one after that, depending on how much I write for the chapters.

* * *

**Family Ties**

**Chapter 20**

* * *

"_Blunt ordered it." Mrs. Jones mumbled._

Alex didn't hear her. "What?"

"Blunt ordered the shooting Alex," She repeated, she looked on the verge of tears. "I asked him not to, told him it'd kill you if he killed her. He didn't listen to me." Mrs. Jones walked over to Alex pulling out a key from her pocket. She undid the hand cuffs and Alex immediately stood up. She stepped back unsure of what he was about to do.

"I can't believe you people, if you can even be called _people_." Alex turned to face the wall where the door was. He sighed, trying to control his anger. "Why did he kill her?"

"So he could get custody of you, so you had no chance to back out of missions. You weren't supposed to turn up when you did."

_Apart from the staring and whispers, school hadn't been that bad that day. He cycled home with Tom who left him as he reached his own home and Alex cycled on as fast as possible. Alex reached the his street corner and as his house wasn't that far down the relatively short street he could see Jack in the garden, trimming back the roses. He smiled. Several cars drove past just as they would normally; families returning to their home or going out. One car caught his eye; it was a black Ford van with tinted windows. _

_As the car neared the house a lot quicker than Alex could cycle he saw the window being wound down. He dreaded the worst. A hand came out of the window. He saw a gun. He cycled harder. A muffled sound was heard and Alex guessed it was the gun in the man's hand that had gone off. He hadn't got there in time. He threw himself off of his bike and didn't look back as it slid into the road. He could feel hot tears running down his cheeks as he picked up Jack's lifeless dead body._

"_Help!" He cried. "Somebody help me!" _

_A man who was jogging down the road heard his shouting and came to his assistance. His face paled when he saw the dead body lying in the arms of the young boy._

"_What happened?" He wondered, taking in the shock._

"_She was shot, call an ambulance!" The man pulled out his phone and dialled 999, but he could already tell by the purplish pallor of the woman that she was dead. _

"_They'll be here in about five minutes." He said, he knelt down next to the boy. "What's your name?"_

"_Alex," He pulled Jack closer. "Her name is Jack."_

_He could hear sirens in the distance and knew they would be coming here. Then he saw it the blue flashing lights of the ambulance. He watched as the paramedics took the body off of him and helped him up. They had a large black bag, it was then the realness of it hit him and he twisted himself out of the paramedics grip and ran for it._

"I cycled home I record time." He told her, not that she needed to know. "Tell Blunt that I won't be seeing him ever again..." He walked out of the door. Stepping out of the door to the bank she shivered as he remembered the day he was nearly assassinated. He started to walk home, but he heard a shout from behind him.

"Alex, let me take you home." She said, seeing he was still in his pyjamas. Alex just stood there. Mrs. Jones brought her car round to the front where Alex was stood.

He got into the back, glad of the warmth inside the car compared to the iciness outside.

They arrived at Wolf's house. Alex got out of the car and started walking up the three steps that led to Wolf's front door. Mrs. Jones followed him. She knocked o the door. Wolf answered it.

"Alex!" He said. His face lit up until he saw who was behind him. "What do you want?" He let Alex walk past him and into the house but Wolf stayed at the door.

"I'm sorry for what MI6 did."

"It doesn't matter; you won't be touching him ever again. I have full custody of Alex." Wolf though he saw he saw Mrs. Jones smile. His brow furrowed.

"Thank goodness." So Mrs. Jones did have a heart.

"Pardon?"

"I asked Blunt not to do what he did, but he did it anyway to get custody of Alex. Now that you have him he won't have a chance." Mrs. Jones turned to leave, leaving Wolf, mouth agape, stood there.

He turned on his heel, shutting the door in the process.

"Alex!"

* * *

Chapter Finished... next chapter Wolf wants answers from Alex and they have a nice chat... may be the last chapter unless I do an Epilogue (do you want one?)

* * *

Please Review :)


	22. Chapter 21

Thank you for reviewing; ALBANY, ad, DammitimmaD, SamayouTamashi, bubzchoc, Torn Apart Paper Dinosaur, Se7enFreaker, ReillyScarecrowRocks, Fanfictionaddict1, XxHelixRiderxX, Anonymous and iSaphira :)

A/N: Just to say that despite my family trees I've created I've already named Eagle Steve in this fic... so his name is Steve/Stevie not Scott for the moment...

* * *

**Family Ties**

**Chapter 21**

* * *

"Alex!" Alex turned to face Wolf. "You're never going on a mission again."

"Huh? How do you mean?" He wondered.

"Elizabeth put the adoption papers through this morning. You're now officially apart of this family." He smiled.

Wolf saw a flicker of hope in the boy's eyes. And Alex smiled.

"Thanks. I – I really mean it, thank you."

"That's fine. Its not me should be thanking." Wolf's gaze shifted to someone behind him and he saw Elizabeth coming out of the lounge door.

"Thanks," Alex smiled. "It really means a lot to me. I haven't had a proper family since my uncle died."

"That's alright Alex; I think you have a bit of explaining to do to Lewis though."

"Oh - Right, yeah." He smirked.

"And Alex, nothing in this house is classified." Wolf said and he heard Lizzie chuckle behind him. "What?"

"'Nothing is classified', yeah right? But, Alex, no secrets."

"Ok..."

"Wait in the lounge; I'll be in in a sec." He said and made his way to where the telephone was.

He dialled the number and the person answered instantly.

"Hey, it's Lewis, do you want to come over for a bit, I have some news and Alex might need you there."

"Alright, be there in ten."

Ben didn't live too far away and jogged over to Wolf's house as soon as he got the call, albeit being slightly confused, why would Alex need him?

He reached the door and banged loudly, as usual, on the front door. Wolf answered.

"Hey,"

"Hi, Alex is here? Who brought him back?"

"Jones... said thanks for what I did." Ben's impassive face turned to shock. "Yeah, she thanked me," He turned his voice to a whisper like it was some big secret ad said, "and she smiled!" Ben burst out into laughter and Alex came to the door to see what someone was laughing about.

"Ben?" He said, he straightened up and composed himself.

"I'm really sorry Alex. I-"Alex cut him off.

"Had orders; I know." Ben began to follow Wolf into the lounge.

"You're not angry?"

"Not really. I don't know, let's just drop it."

All three sat in the lounge. Wolf and Ben on one sofa and Alex sat on the other.

"So, start talking..." Alex glared at Wolf and started talking about how he got involved with MI6. He told Wolf about his missions. Ben chipped in when he spoke about the Snakehead mission.*

"So how did Danny get stuck into all of this?" Wolf wondered.

"I haven't the foggiest; you'd have to ask him," He turned round to the slightly ajar door. "I know you've been listening Daniel."

Daniel opened the door and embarrassed look on his face. "Sorry." He said. "I was walking home from school; they asked if I knew you. I told them I did... I... I'm really sorry." He slumped down on the floor in between the fireplace and the television. "They told me to keep an eye on you. The night before you were kidnapped they gave me a vial of a sedative and a syringe, told me to inject you while you were sleeping." He turned round to his dad. "I hit you over the head, I wasn't thinking. They had threatened mum and Ellie's life if I didn't do it." Tears had started to trickle out of his eyes; he wiped them away quickly as if he was ashamed to cry in front of the people in the room.

Daniel looked towards Alex. "Did those people really do all those things to you... like try to cut out your organs to sell?"

Alex nodded his face paling a little as he remembered the events in Australia.

"Well, that's it now. Jones was please I'd adopted you," Ben opened his mouth to say something, but Lewis put a hand up to stop him. "Yes, I adopted him, or rather, we adopted him. So Alex, Harrington-Rider or Rider-Harrington?" Wolf Wondered.

Alex puzzled over what his new name should be for a few seconds before deciding. "Harrington-Rider, it _flows_ better." Ben and Lewis started to laugh as Alex drew out the 'flow'.

"Welcome to the family Alex Harrington-Rider."

"Thank you." He smiled a cheesy smile. It felt good to smile, felt good not to have a burden on his shoulders.

"I just hope I'm not here when you tell Steve." Ben chuckled.

"Yeah, make sure everyone is at least a mile away before you tell him; we'll still hear him." Alex added.

Elizabeth had just cooked dinner and called everyone to the table.

"Ben, you staying for dinner?" Elizabeth called into the lounge.

"If there's enough food," Ben told her.

"Of course there is. Daniel could you get the chair from the garage and put it at the table please?"

"Yeah," Daniel got up from the sofa and went into the garage. He took one of the old dining chairs and took it to the dining room which was adjacent to the living room.

"Dinner's served!" Elizabeth called, bringing a very hot dish to the table. Inside was a tasty looking lasagne with lots of melted cheese still bubbling on top. "I'll just go and get Ellie." Alex heard her go up the stairs.

Lewis started serving the lasagne onto everyone's plates. Ellie had been brought down and she sat on the chair at the end of the table which had a table booster seat on so she could reach the table. Wolf served her a smaller bowl of the lasagne and told her not to eat it just yet as it was too hot. She complied for a moment before sticking her plastic spoon into the centre of the food and watched as the steam poured out of the hole she's created. Alex giggled childishly as he watched the toddler do what she'd been asked not to do.

"I bet you were like that once Alex." Lewis said.

"Alex, Can I show you my picture after." Ellie asked before stuffing some lasagne in her mouth.

"Of course you can." Alex smiled.

Alex looked around the table; his new family (aside from Ben) sat there.

Family...

'A group consisting of parents and children living together in a household.'

It was almost magical and would've been if he was younger, but the feeling of life was still there. At least he wouldn't turn out to be much of a cold hearted killer anymore; well it was certainly less likely.

One feeling caught him though; and bothered him...

Would he have to call Wolf 'dad'? He shivered with the thought but passed it aside. Lewis wouldn't mind either way.

* * *

So finite... Epilogue next chapter... :/ Gonna miss writing this story... I may think about a sequel, never done one before... well it's a possibility

* * *

I can't believe how hard it is to type with one eye... so I apologise for any mistakes and if there are any, feel free to tell me :)

Please Review!


	23. Epilogue  Part 1

**I'm** sorry for the delay... My computer decided to die on me, and no matter how much I threatened it it didn't want to work. Though now I've switched my hard drive over to my sister's computer so I have everything :) and then I went on a weeklong annual camp with cadets followed by a week in France with my family...

Thank you for reviewing!

Thank you to Iceqbz, bubzchoc, Se7enfreaker, Torn Apart Paper Dinosaur, ReillyScarecrowRocks, The Potters of the Future, GinaStar, Fanfictionaddict1, ALBANY, It'sFun2BCrazy, XxHelixRiderxX and annonn :)

**Warning**: Swearing and Military lingo used... there are some of the meanings at the bottom but _please_ ask if you aren't sure :)

* * *

**Family Ties**

**Epilogue**

**4 years later**

* * *

Lewis drove up to the main gate of the SAS training camp near Hereford.

"Name please." The guard at the gate asked. He was medium height with dark green eyes and you could just see the blonde hair poking out from underneath his beige beret. He held an SA80 loosely in one hand, resting in the sling that was looped into the rifle and a wooden clipboard in the other.

"Alex Harrington-Rider." Alex chipped in from the passenger seat. The guard looked at Alex then at the clipboard searching for his name.

"Ok, go on through, park-" The guard started before Wolf stopped him."

"-in the car park that is the second left turn on this road. I'm ex-SAS." The guard's jaw dropped a little, and his eyes narrowed ever so slightly as he opened his mouth to speak but he just waved them through. Alex chuckling slightly.

"You never fail to amuse me." Alex said.

He was nervous about starting the selection process and in his jean pocket he had the badge of the SAS, a downward pointing Excalibur, wreathed in flames* that Wolf had given to him after the ten days of training he'd had when he was fourteen.

Alex had joined the army when he was sixteen having been accepted into the Army Foundation College at Harrogate. After completing the course there he'd chosen the PWRR** as the regiment he wanted to join. The PWRR was an infantry regiment.

Alex applied to join the SAS while he was on leave for two weeks during Christmas. They accepted him as a candidate for selection. He had his interview and did well on that due to some great pointers from Lewis and he had an induction weekend. Alex passed his Battle Fitness Test and signed all the necessary forms. He would spend the next six months doing the actual selection.

"Phase one is endurance, fitness and navigation or as we call it, the 'hills stage'.This is the endurance portion of selection and not only tests your physical fitness, but also your mental stamina. To pass this phase, a high level of determination and self-reliance is vital. We will not be there to give you any sort of encouragement as you may have had in your past regiments." The DS* was talking loudly to the forty recruits. "Are there any questions?" Everybody looked around them, and no one spoke, either too scared to or they genuinely had no questions to ask. "You are dismissed." Everybody filed out of the room. They returned to their billets that they had been assigned to. There were twenty men to each billet. Alex had tucked himself into the corner. Wolf had given him a Bergen as he had to give back all of his issued equipment back to his old regiment. However he'd apparently been issued two Kevlar helmets. So he had kept that along with a pair of combat trousers.

Everyone was given a Bergen that would weigh about twenty-five pounds once all their stuff was packed.

Alex neatly started packing his doss bag and bivvi bag that he'd been issued for the selection along with warm kit, spare combats, his basha kit, spare water bottle and waterproofs. In his webbing he packed a water bottle his mess tins that help his Hexi burner and its fuel, polishing kit and wash kit. He put his webbing on and tightened it s that it would be comfy to wear for the long march. Alex also put the essential items into his combat jacket that he was wearing. Lighter a combi-tool in the small pocket on his upper sleeve of the jacket, and a not book ad pen in the large zip pocket. He stuffed his crap hat*** into the opposite zip pocket.

Alex took off his belt, knowing from his training in the army how uncomfortable it was to wear with webbing and a Bergen on.

Some of the other recruits were starting to leave; he was packed, so Alex left too, into the warm outside weather.

Alex saw the Green Fleet outside waiting for them. There were two four-tonners and two Land Rovers. Alex was directed into one of the four tonners and he sat somewhere in the middle. He's been given a camouflage Kevlar helmet, as was everyone, as it wasn't the softest of rides and there was potential to bang your head on the metal structure. Once everyone had got onto the four-tonner they were off to the Brecon Beacons.

Alex sighed as he readied himself for the upcoming task. The four-tonner came to an abrupt halt and everyone including Alex look towards the back to where the material flap was being lifted to let them out. Filing out they formed up for another short briefing.

It was dark outside and the cold was biting at Alex's hands as he stood listening to the final briefing that the DS was giving. They made their way to the start point when the briefing was over.

Alex shifted his Bergen to a more comfortable position on his back and set off. The first RV* was five kilometres away, a quarter of the way. Alex could feel the cold sweat on his forehead and across the top of his lip. But still he walked on, he was going to pass this selection, or die trying. To make matters worse the weather turned and it started to rain heavily making the ground slushy with mud.

Alex's feet were aching in his combat boots by the time he'd got to the RV. One of the DS was stood there, a Land Rover behind him. Alex went up to him and stopped.

"Name," The voice was stern.

"Rider, staff." He said, making sure he said his rank.

"How do you feel Rider?" He asked.

"Wet, staff." He replied.

"Your next RV is 235998, now fuck off.*"

Alex went on taking a small sip of water from his bottle that was in his webbing. Alex carried on for another four hours reaching each of the RV points in good time. At one RV, near the end he was told by the DS that he was one of two from the PWRR to pass the RV on time so he and the other guy were the ones who passed. Alex wondered if it had been Lance Corporal Kane who had been the other man from his regiment to pass through on time. He remembered him from the original selection and they'd caught up earlier that day.

He had noticed that he could see less and less soldiers walking as he neared the end. The SAS was not for everyone.

Four hours later he reached the final RV point and was hurried into a four-tonner once again. His feet were relieved when he proceeded to sit on one of the side benches in the vehicle. He wiggled his toes trying to gain a little warmth back into his froze toes and clenched and unclenched his finger to warm them up to. With little effect he began to rub his shoulder where the Bergen had rubbed against his wet skin, it was red and chaffed.

After they got back to camp they were all ushered into a cinema for a briefing. They were told that they had all been slow.

_All of us?_, Alex thought.

Soon the briefing was over and they were allowed to have a few hours of downtime before they had to be back in their billets. Alex was desperate for a shower. He took his wash kit to the ablutions and stepped into the shower. Washing himself down he could still see and feel the scars from four years ago, especially on his back where the rough scars of the whip remained, reminding him of his past life that he'd rather forget. He gathered a handful of the warm water and splashed it on his face, trying to shake the memories from his mind.

He let the soothing water run over his face, closing his eyes.

"_I will ask you again. Why were you running?" But Alex didn't answer. The man behind Alex shoved his head into the freezing water. _

_One second._

_Five seconds_

_Ten seconds_

_Fifteen seconds. _

_Alex began to kick out behind him; hoping they wound let his up for air. Another five seconds. It felt like forever..._

He gasped as he pulled his head out of the line of the water and opened his eyes. He stepped out of the shower and wrapped a towel around his middle.

"You alright?" Alex looked up to see one of the other recruits staring at him with questioning eyes. Alex remembered his last name being Collins.

"Yeah, I'm fine." He told him. He turned round to get changed.

"They're some nasty scars."

"Um..." He hesitated, placing a t-shirt over his head, slightly embarrassed.

"You don't have to tell me, sorry I asked." He said apologetically.

"Its fine, I'd prefer not to talk about it." He gave the dark haired man a weak smile and carried on getting dressed into civvies.

* * *

**Three weeks later**

Alex woke and stretched his aching body. It was 0600, the normal time for the soldiers in the billet to be waking up.

He went over to the wall where the light switch was and turned on the light, waking everyone else up with many moans and grunts.

It was the test day for their navigational skills, if they were to go on to complete Brecon they had to first pass the navigations.

Alex had his Bergen, weighing fifty pounds and then his additional ten pounds from his webbing. He lined up with everyone else as they were issued their weapons which were also heavy. They had to complete the forty-five kilometre navigational test in less than eighteen hours. Alex knew that he might struggle a little as his map and compass was not up to scratch, he hoped his fitness would help him through. The ground was frozen and a layer of snow had settled in the past few days. There was a twelve foot wall in front of him; _could this day get any harder? _After about five minutesof struggle he was up and over the wall.

It was pitch black, Alex's night vision had plenty of time to adjust to the new darkness and the radioactive lights on his compass were bright enough for his to see the bearings he needed to be going. He arrived at the seventh rendezvous and the soldier there told him his next grid reference, using his map placed the compass so that it was facing the right direction to where his next RV was and turned the bezel so that the easting lined up. That gave Alex a grid bearing. At the start of the exercise the RSM (regimental Sergeant Major) had told them all that the GMA (Grid Magnetic Angle) was four degrees. Remembering the rhyme Wolf had told him months beforehand – Grid to Mag (Magnetic) add, Mag to Grid get rid – so he needed to add four degrees to the bearing he already had to be going the right way. Sorted, he started walking in this new direction. His hands were freezing cold and he flexed them to keep the blood circling within them. He wore his green woolly hat to keep his ears and head warm just like every other soldier had done. He wore no thermals, his body wasn't cold, and in fact it was quite the opposite, under his combats he was sweating. He checked down at his compass once again and made sure he was walking in the right direction. He didn't want to get lost, especially in the dark.

Alex heard footsteps crunching on the slightly stony ground up ahead of his and saw that it was a soldier. He wasn't wearing any kit, leaving Alex wondering why he was here.

"Come on, rush along, you're nearly there!" He called to Alex.

_Rush! I can barely hobble! _Alex thought, but he made the effort to walk slightly quicker.

The RSM nodded to him as he got the final rendezvous point. He was off to Brecon – he just had that gut feeling from the look on the RSM's face. Alex smiled to himself.

* * *

* The SAS cap badge is often wrongly described as the winged dagger...

**PWRR – Princess of Wales Royal Regiment

* DS – Directing Staff or Drill Sergeant... depending on the context... in this case its Directing Staff

*** Crap hat – a camouflage hat that soldiers wear in the field, also known as bush hat or field hat.

* Exact words taken from a website called misfit4sure

* * *

Okay, so that was part one of the Epilogue... I would have done the whole thing except it's been too long since I last updated and I have an annoying case of writer's block... *grr*

* * *

Please, please, please, PM me or say in a review if you want me to explain what anything is. :) I just didn't want to have asterisks all over my fic as it may annoy or confuse people :)


	24. Epilogue Part 2

Okay, here it is... the last chapter of Family Ties! D:

I would like to say thank you for the reviewers of the last chapter:

(Blank), XxHelixRiderxX, Zeichnerinaga, bubzchoc, ALBANY, Torn Apart Paper Dinosaur, Synchro lover, GinaStar and ReillyScarecrowRocks :D

And thanks to my Beta Valkyriexx

Warning: a single dose of strong language and more military lingo :D

* * *

**Family Ties**

**Epilogue**

**Part 2**

* * *

Alex's final exercise was over. They were all directed to the armoury to hand in their SA80A2s.

Alex pulled the weapon into his shoulder and stood in front of the sand pit. He pulled back the cocking handle and held it back with the holding-opening device and tilted the weapon to the left, ninety degrees. He looked inside, it was empty. He tilted the weapon back upright and released the working parts. Taking off the safety catch he looked down the sights and took an aimed shot into the sand pit they had in front of them. He pulled the trigger, there was an audible click and Alex put the safety back on and put his dust cover back up. He then lined up behind Sanders who looked like he was about to die from exhaustion, with his dark eyes and drooped shoulders.

Alex knew he must look the same; he had had no better chance at passing even with his skills and fitness.

Once he had handed his weapon back to the armourer he fell in and stood at ease with the rest of the lads.

The sergeant major came out the front.

"Squad!" They all brace up, Alex head his head high and puffed out his chest just like he'd been told to, he moved his arms from the at ease position and forced them down straight behind his back. "Squad Shun!" All the soldiers brought their arms down to their sides and lifted their right leg up ninety degrees parallel to the floor and drove in it next to their left foot, all perfectly in time with on loud thump as all their boots hit the tarmac parade square.

"You have a half hour to get washed, cleaned and ready for an inspection! Your kit needs to be packed away into your lockers and your barracks are to be spotless. Understand?" he barked.

A chime of "Yes, Sir!" came from the group.

"To your duties, fall out!" He commanded and they all turned to their right, took three paces and dashed off to their barracks.

Alex's stuff had been mainly packed from day one. As had most other people; they'd learnt that from their three year British army service. 'Stow as you go'. That's what Wolf had said before Alex had joined the army, with several other tidbits of information that Wolf hoped would see him through his army career, and it had.

His family, Wolf, Elizabeth, Daniel and Ellie, had been there on his promotion parade to Lance Corporal and again when he got his Corporal stripes.

They all took their kit outside of the barrack and then returned to clean it. Alex took to the job of sweeping the floor with the brush that was in the ablutions. He started at the end of the room and made his way to the front, making sure everything was spotless in the section he had just swept; that the top of the lockers had been dusted, that the bed sheets had been folded correctly s were the blankets, that the lockers were empty.

Once their room had been done they stood outside in a squad at attention while the Sergeant Major inspected their room.

As the Sergeant Major came back out, Alex could tell from the ever so slight contented look o his face that he'd been happy with their room. They were fallen out and told to grab their stuff to put it in the hangar ready for them to go back to Hereford. They marched back with their bergens and webbing on their backs to the hangar.

An hour later, they chucked their kit on the coaches and piled on. Harry Flemming sat next to him, though they had become good friends they did not talk to one another as they were too tired and the coach back to Hereford was very quiet, many of the men sleeping. Alex still found it hard to sleep sometimes. Just sometimes. And this was one of these times. The training had been stressful and strenuous. Though he was glad that not too many questions had been asked, parts of the medical form had been a lie, it had been for the Army too. They had not looked in to it when they had received the forged papers from MI6 (not knowing they were from MI6). Alex eyelids began to droop and finally shut.

_His feet dragged against the floor, two guards held on to him tightly by his shoulders. Alex heard a door being opened and he was taken into this new room. There was nothing in this room save a metal chair in the centre and mould growing on the damp walls. He was forced to sit in the metal chair ad he shivered violently as the cold back touched his bare skin. _

"_What do you want?" Alex shouted._

"_Well, I'm sure at least someone told you there is only one way out of this organisation!" His scarred captor told him. _

"_One click Alex..."_

A tap on his shoulder.

"_Is all it'll take to..."_

Another tap.

"_...Get him to beat you senseless."_

"Rider!" Harry Flemming shook his shoulder.

"Rider!" The man in the seat in front of them had turned round to help wake the man. David Falk slapped him lightly on his reddened cheeks.

Alex's eyes opened.

"Jesus Rider." Harry said.

"What?" He said innocently, there was no way they missed his nightmare but he could try the lie.

"What do you mean 'what', you must've have known you were having a nightmare. You were mumbling something about 'one click' and 'beating'." There was a frown on his face.

"I don't want to talk about it." None of the men would ask, something could have happened on a tour or anything, they just didn't know. Only Alex knew the truth about it happening at sixteen.

They reached the base in Hereford and they debussed and grabbed their kit from underneath the coach. They had been told to dump their kit in one of the storerooms and then to file up alphabetically outside of the RSM's office to be told if they'd be having a cup of coffee with the RSM or not*.

He waited with baited breath to enter the office. There were five people in front of him.

He wiggled his toes nervously in his boots and rocked from his heel to his toes.

The last man who had come out was smiling. Four people.

He cracked his knuckles and wiped his face with his hand.

David Falk went in. He came out smiling. Alex was happy for him and caught his eye as he made his way to the store room.

Adam Groves came out, he looked sullen. One of his friends must've caught his eye, silently asking if he'd got in because the man shook his head lightly.

One person in front of him. Harry was behind him, he kept rubbing his face out of nerves.

The man in front went in and came out looking happy.

Him next.

"Harrington-Rider." His name was called. He marched into the room, his arm swinging forward to his shoulder height, back to forty five degrees. Head up, shoulder braced back and generally looking proud.

"Sir." Alex greeted the RSM.

"Rider-Harrington, I'm pleased to say that you have passed the SAS selection. There is an unusual number of passes from this intake, we normally only take around two or three but there are six or seven this time. Congratulations." He nodded his head and grabbed a beige beret from the pile along with the flaming Excalibur SAS badge. He was about to turn and leave when the RSM spoke again. "You don't happen to be related to Lewis Harrington by any chance do you?"

"Yes Sir, I'm his adopted son, Sir."

"Ah, I thought so, he's taught you lots by what I can see."

"Thank you Sir." He placed his beret behind his back in his left hand and turned.

"Stick it in your pocket. Grab your kit and wait in the storeroom." One of the other officers said.

He marched out of the office and then stopped marching once he'd left the office.

"Flemming." He heard Harry's name being called and looked over at him just in time to catch his eye. He winked and received a quick thumbs up as Harry went in to the office.

He went into the store room where the five people before him had grabbed their kit already, there was only another six people to go, meaning only another two could pass. Hopefully Harry would be one of them.

Harry came into the room. He looked sad. Alex went over to him.

"You OK?" He asked carefully.

"Of course I'm fucking ok, I passed!" A broad smile stretched across his face and they linked hands and pulled each other into a manly hug.

The Staff and Sword is one of the popular pubs near the Hereford base. Alex, Harry and David sat in the pub on the bar stools. A pint of beer in their hands.

They were chatting about their family. Harry, a dark haired man, the same age as Alex, had a girlfriend whom he planned to ask to marry as soon as he got home. He lived in London with her and their dog Razz.

David was twenty two, two years older than Alex and Harry. He had ginger hair and a pale face. He didn't have a girlfriend, apparently he didn't want one at the moment.

David looked behind him over to a brown haired, blue eyes girl in the corner tapping away at her phone. She glanced up and her eyes shifted to Alex. He smiled.

"Al, ten o' clock." He said nudging him in the arm. Alex spun round. The girl was looking at him again. She smiled when she saw Alex's face.

"Excuse me, I just need to go and talk to someone over there."

"Go on mate!"

Alex asked the bartender what the woman had been drinking that night.

"Appletini." He told him.

"Can I have one of them then please?" He asked with a smile. He served him one and then he took his pit and her appletini over to the table.

"Good evening," He said politely.

* * *

*we had this said to us when I did my Junior Cadets Instructor Cadre (JCIC) about having cup of coffee with the officer in charge, just means if you don't have coffee you've failed, if you do have coffee you've passed :)

Well that is it...

Hope you enjoyed Family Ties!

Hollyblue2


	25. AN - Sequel!

Hello!

I have uploaded the first chapter of Family Ties 2: Forever! The sequel to this! I know I took my time, but I have more time in college to be doing it :D I am four chapters in so far and will update about every 10 days :)

Enjoy!

HollyBlue2


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